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August 16, 2006

Copley Plaza: Faded Beauty

building
It's always a little sad when you see a building that you can tell was once a grand dame that has lost its lustre in middle age. The Copley Plaza at 37 Eastern Parkway strikes us as such a building. Its scale, its awning, its parkside location all harken back to its pre-depression-era glory days. But the 12-story, 125,000-square-foot beauty, which was built in 1926, before anyone had heard of the term FAR, is showing signs of neglect. Standing across the street, the windows, and the flashes of interiors you can see through, them, look shabby, like no one's had the dough to keep the place up. We've never even been inside the lobby but would love to know more about the building's history and current status.




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:55 AM | Comments (20)
Categories: Architecture

Comments

Are you joking?

Big apts go for over 1.2USD. Maintanance at around 1k.

Some are still rentals. Sponsor is selling units as they come available.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 16, 2006 11:55 AM

Anon at 11.55 is right. Also, I think the address is 41 Eastern Pkwy, not 37.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 16, 2006 12:00 PM

BTW: Each floor has five apts. The windows you seed from Eastern PW belong to two apts of about 2000sqf each. These apts have additional windows either on the side street or north. Smaller apts in the back of the building. If you search for a classic 6 or classic 7 this is your building. The floor plans for the big apts flow wonderfully. These kind of apts you will never find in a newly constructed condo.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 16, 2006 12:03 PM

street noise might be a problem

Posted by: Anonymous at August 16, 2006 12:57 PM

This is NYC. There's street noise.

Posted by: SuperAnon at August 16, 2006 12:59 PM

If you're never even been inside of this building, then how could you possibly know enough to make such a broad generalization about it?

Yeesh.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 16, 2006 2:16 PM

The windows, the a/c units, the facade, the curtains (or lack thereof) in some of the apartments suggested a building that hasn't been kept up to the level that it started out at. That's all. Our comments were in the context of it looking like a beautiful, grand building.

Posted by: brownstoner at August 16, 2006 2:29 PM

I've looked at a couple of Classic 7 apartments in Copley Plaza. Brownstoner's right. It certainly has faded from its glory days. However, the good news is that it looks like it's turning around, e.g., updated elevator. Don't know if there's gentrification tension within the building between the new shareholders and the long-time residents.

Posted by: DN at August 16, 2006 2:54 PM

I've looked at two classic 7s in the last six months - fabulous spaces, great flow and layout. One sold very close to its $1.2 mil asking - other was a sponsor-owned unit on the top floor that the sponsor pulled and is renting out for another year because he wasn't getting offers close enough to his $1.5 mil asking price.

The lobby and hallways do look a little dated and dark but not at all in disrepair.

I met the building's board prez on the street and she hinted at some new shareholder-old resident tension but thought the older residents were coming around to the view that it was worth it to invest in some improvements.

Posted by: ZeeBee at August 16, 2006 3:15 PM

So who are the older residents?

Posted by: brownstoner at August 16, 2006 4:21 PM

huh? people who have lived there for a long time

Posted by: Anonymous at August 16, 2006 5:13 PM

Faded glory it is not. This is a great building with a number of apartments selling over $1.2M. The board is completely controlled by the shareholders (BTW the coop pres is not a female). The shareholders are neighborly and friendly. The buiding is in the midst of a significant facade improvement program.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 16, 2006 6:57 PM

what a classic 7? a 7 bedroom? where did the name classic come from? any relation to a junior 1 bedroom, etc.

Posted by: anonymous at August 16, 2006 7:34 PM

The "classic" means a pre-war apartment and the number following is the number of rooms. A classic 6 has two bedrooms plus living room, dining room, kitchen and maid's room. Classic 7 has three bedrooms.

I stand corrected if the coop prez is not female; my broker mentioned that she had sold the coop prez's apartment to her a while back and then we met the 'prez' walking outside the building.

Posted by: ZeeBee at August 16, 2006 8:04 PM

The couple (?) who started this discussion certainly aren't going to be invited to our apartment to view the fireworks on New Years Eve. The apartments have some of the best views in the City.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 16, 2006 10:05 PM

Lack of curtains indicate a fading building?? Air conditioners also? So if the building owners don't 1) have the excess money to go central air (which is also wasteful and unwarranted in this climaate) and 2) have the good sense to want maximum light and air (or just want the aesthetics of a clean look), the building is decaying. This may be the first time I can totally disagree with you.

Posted by: cmu at August 17, 2006 9:47 AM

By the look of this place, this building is close to being condemned!

http://www.brownharrisstevens.com/detail.aspx?id=507721

B-stoner, I respectfully disagree on this one.

Posted by: Morkfrombrooklyn at August 17, 2006 10:06 AM

We'll be happy to post some interior photos of the lobby or apartments from any of you who disagreed with our reaction. We're happy to eat our words on this one. But again, our comments about it looking a little worse for the wear were in the context of it being a wonderful building.

Posted by: brownstoner at August 17, 2006 10:22 AM

This building is great. My husband and I tried to buy there 3 times. Got outbid twice and got an outright rejection (the sponsor unit on the top floor). Some of the unrenovated units look a little shabby, but the apartments all (at least the 2 and 3 BRs) have great layouts. The feature that I like the best 1)the apartments all have multiple baths (with ensuite in the master bedroom) 2) the B line apartments have gigantic living/dining room plus large entry foyers 3) common areas are totally separate from the bedroom (no walking through the LR to get to the BRs) 4)the views are incredible (even on the 3rd floor). Even if it is faded, it is still a great beauty. I am STILL hoping to live there one day.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 17, 2006 10:38 AM

I looked at a classic 7 here in 1992. It was $165K and I offered $140K and they came to $150K. But I decided to go to 10 Plaza St for smaller apt but "better/safer" bldg/area for $90K.

The apt I looked at in Copely is now $1.25 mil! LOL

In 1999 I left Brooklyn and I sold 10 Plaza St apt for $165K and a few years later it sold for over $400K... LOL! oh well.

I now own/live in MASSIVE co-op on Grand Concourse... I need a nice apt (no shoeboxes for me!) and Bklyn was too $$$ for me. (sigh)

Posted by: native NYer at November 19, 2006 10:06 AM

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